Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson boxes James Wade on Aug. 13 in Oklahoma

Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson returns to competition in August, though this time with boxing gloves on rather than the four-ounce variety.

Gary Shaw Productions and Tony Holden Promotions today announced Slice will box James Wade in a four-round main event at Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla.

The previously announced event takes place Aug. 13.

“Just like in MMA, Kimbo Slice is walking around with bullseye on his back,” Team Kimbo promotional advisor Jared Shaw stated. “His opponents know they can make themselves known to the world if they can take him out.

“To Kimbo, it’s a pro boxing debut. To James Wade, this is a world championship fight.”

It was Gary Shaw who actually introduced Ferguson to the MMA world in 2007 as the head of the since-folded EliteXC organization. A former underground sensation who rose to fame thanks to his bareknuckle-fighting videos on YouTube, Ferguson won his first three MMA bouts, including the first-ever U.S.-network televised MMA headliner (against James Thompson at “EliteXC: Primetime”). Despite an eventual loss to Seth Petruzelli in the final major EliteXC show, UFC president Dana White took a gamble on “Kimbo” in 2009.

Ferguson was the featured fighter on a heavyweights-only 10th season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which shattered the reality series’ ratings record. After an opening-round loss to eventual show champ Roy Nelson, Ferguson won his first official UFC fight with a lackluster decision victory over Houston Alexander at the show’s live finale.

Surprisingly, though, he was dropped from the roster following a subsequent loss to Matt Mitrione at UFC 113.

Wade made his professional debut this past January and suffered a third-round knockout loss to Carlos Torres.

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